Ch. 45
“There seems to be some mistake. We are the Drike Academy delegation from Dmitri.”
“We are en route to Elan to participate in the Winkan Festival. Are you perhaps confusing us with another group?”
“No mistake at all! You are precisely the ones we’ve been expecting.”
“Yes, we’ve been told daily that your group would be arriving. That little devil in angel’s clothing… Ahem.”
“She was just here a moment ago. Where did she run off to now?”
“Must have gone off causing trouble again.”
The gatekeepers whispered among themselves at a rapid pace. Hansen and Philo could hear every word, yet they had no clue what was being discussed.
“Um…”
“I swear, she never listens. I repeatedly told her to stay put. If she weren’t a noble, I would have kicked her out ages ago.”
“No need to worry about that now. With her guardian here, she’s no longer our problem! We’re free!”
“Exactly! You’re a genius.”
The gatekeepers beamed so brightly it was almost uncomfortable to witness.
“Come along now. We’ve already prepared the paperwork.”
“…Right.”
This level of kindness from a Vailan native was something Hansen had never experienced before.
Feeling an inexplicable unease, he reluctantly followed the gatekeeper into the checkpoint station.
Meanwhile, Philo remained outside, tending to the horses.
This was his first time in Vailan. As he waited, he looked up at the famed walls of Valen, renowned throughout the continent. The towering fortifications were enveloped in a translucent force, refracting sunlight into a subtle rainbow shimmer.
To a Dmitrian like Philo, where magic was rare, it was a marvelous sight. He craned his neck, admiring the sheer grandeur of the structure.
“So this is… Vailan’s legendary enchanted fortress…”
“Ah! Philo? Philo, is that you?!”
Lost in wonder, Philo was startled by a familiar voice ringing in his ears.
The moment he heard the young, eager tone, he instinctively turned his head—before even processing who it belonged to.
And the first thing to fill his vision was a cascade of golden hair, fluttering wildly in the air.
A radiant color so reminiscent of sunlight that it almost overwhelmed his eyes.
Then came the sight of vibrant blue eyes, sparkling with triumph, and a smile as innocent as an angel’s.
“Why are you so late?! Do you know how lonely I was?!”
“Hkk!”
“They wouldn’t let me do anything without a guardian present!”
A small figure dashed toward him, colliding into his chest with a forceful thud.
Philo was a trained knight, yet he failed to dodge this insignificant ambush.
Had it been an enemy, he would have surely been dead.
His entire body stiffened, his mouth hanging open.
For a fleeting moment, he thought he was hallucinating. Perhaps this was one of the wall’s magical illusions?
An illusion spell—yes, that had to be it!
But that theory quickly crumbled.
The voice was too real, the warmth too tangible.
And when he looked down, the face looking up at him was one he knew all too well.
“Huh? You look thinner, Philo.”
“Uhh… Uhh…”
Struggling to form words, Philo could only stare at the girl before him—
Geenie Crowell.
Who was supposed to be dead.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
A shriek of absolute terror escaped from him.
Because he thought he had seen it with his own eyes—
She had fallen from that cliff, had been swept away by the raging currents.
And he had grieved for her.
—
Meanwhile, Hansen’s entry process proceeded shockingly smoothly.
The gatekeeper was so eager to be rid of them that he rushed through the paperwork with alarming efficiency.
How many in the group?
Reason for entry?
Were all identification papers in order?
Did they have valid noble seals?
There were numerous documents to submit, yet the gatekeeper barely glanced at them before stamping his approval.
The entry permit was finished in record time.
“This is the final one.”
Just as Hansen was marveling at the unprecedented speed of the process, a new document was thrust in front of him.
“…What is this?”
“It’s the transfer confirmation for Lady Geenie’s sponsorship papers.”
“……Excuse me?”
“When she first arrived, she didn’t have an identification pass, so Captain Shavel personally vouched for her. Since he left the country, that responsibility fell to me, as the original entry officer. But now that her group has arrived…”
“Wait! What did you just say?! How do you know that name?!”
“I told you, I handled her entry process—”
“Impossible!” Hansen snapped. “She was swept away by the rapids nearly two weeks ago! She died—”
His words froze mid-sentence.
A bloodcurdling scream suddenly rang through the air.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
Philo’s voice.
Recognizing the source instantly, Hansen bolted outside.
And what he saw made him stop dead in his tracks.
A familiar girl stood before him, hands pressed tightly over her ears, wincing at Philo’s ear-piercing shriek.
“Hkkk!”
Hansen’s breath hitched violently.
The girl he had mourned.
The girl he had prayed hadn’t suffered.
The girl he had accepted was dead.
Was now standing before him.
Her deep blue eyes locked onto his, filled with joy at recognizing him.
Yet all Hansen felt was a cold sweat breaking out across his skin.
“What’s with everyone’s reaction?”
The girl pouted, her voice tinged with disappointment.
“You’re all looking at me like I’m a ghost.”
She crossed her arms, frustration flickering in her bright eyes.
“Am I not welcome?”
“You’re… alive?!”
“Huh? You thought I was dead?”
“Of course we did! You fell off that cliff! Everyone naturally assumed—”
“I’m standing right here, aren’t I?”
Geenie tilted her head as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.
“I mean, sure, I almost died, but the world’s a rough place, you know?”
“How did you even survive that current?!”
“How did you get here before us?!”
“And why is that snake… white?!”
Hansen and Philo bombarded her with questions, their minds spinning from the impossibility of it all.
Geenie glanced at Rai, who had turned completely albino, then casually shrugged.
“Eh. Just had a little adventure.”
Like it was nothing.
“Gah!”
Yet another voice cried out in shock—
It was the knight commander, who had just arrived at the checkpoint.
His eyes were rounder than a freshly caught fish.
Geenie Crowell was no longer surprised when people reacted in shock upon seeing her. If anything, she was starting to find it amusing.
“That face is hilarious. Don’t you think?”
“Y-You’re… alive…!”
“Pfft. You act like it’s your first time seeing a living person.”
With that infuriating expression, there was no doubt—it was really her.
Yes, Geenie Crowell was an insufferable child—one who had a deep tendency to look down on adults.
And she never hid how much she favored or despised someone.
The knight commander felt his temples throb as he grabbed the back of his neck.
—
“Unbelievable!”
It was only after she had properly explained how she was still alive—in a way they could actually comprehend—that she was finally allowed to rest.
For nearly two hours, the knights and instructors had grilled her with endless questions, interrogating her like a criminal.
Why had she gone into the forest alone at night?
How had she survived the rapids?
Why had she followed strangers without hesitation?
Did she realize how dangerous mercenaries could be?
And on and on it went.
“What was I supposed to do? Stay in the forest alone?!”
[Please calm down, Master.]
“Why do they have so many questions?! And why do they nag so much?!”
“This is unacceptable. They’re making me sound like a delinquent!”
Grumbling, Geenie clutched her empty stomach, dragging her feet toward the dining hall. Naturally, she vented to the most convenient target—Rai.
[If my understanding of ‘delinquent’ is correct, then… that wouldn’t be inaccurate.]
“…Do you have a death wish?”
[Spirits don’t die, Master.]
“…Would you like to cease existing?”
[…I protest! Master, I only spoke the truth!]
Rai had a bad habit of being too honest. A little tact would be nice.
“What exactly did I do wrong? I’m a model ci— …No, fine. I’m not a model citizen, but still.”
[At least you have some self-awareness.]
“Che.”
[But let’s see… You picked a fight with The Swarm, disappeared into the forest, and vanished for nearly two weeks. From a human perspective, it’s safe to assume you’re a walking disaster.]
“No, no, think about it! It’s not my fault! The Swarm tried to kill me, and I got separated because of orcs! I did nothing wrong! The world is just a cruel place!”
She declared proudly, standing firm in her righteousness.
[…If you say so.]
“…Why do I feel like there’s a hidden meaning in that?”
[You’re overthinking it.]
“You just gave me the shadiest side-eye.”
[Incorrect. My eyes are as round as fresh wild berries right now.]
Bantering with Rai, she strode through the ridiculously lavish hallway.
Compared to the inn where she had stayed with Shavel’s group, this place was clearly a top-tier establishment.
Which meant… the food must be good.
Satisfied, Geenie double-checked that Rai—now a pure white snake—was firmly coiled around her waist, then stepped into the dining hall.
Meat. She needed meat.
After enduring that endless interrogation, she was starving.
A few students were still in the hall, but she didn’t particularly care.
Among them was the boy who had whispered “murderer” behind her back—but by now, she found him pathetic.
The others were staring at her differently—perhaps because they had already mourned her death.
“Is that really Geenie Crowell?”
But among them, one boy wasn’t just staring—he was glaring.
And he was pointing directly at her, grinding his teeth.
A new face.
Someone she had never seen before.
